Graphical element laminate for use in forming a skate boot

ABSTRACT

A method of manufacturing a skate boot, including providing a first sheet of thermoplastic material, the thermoplastic material being at least one of translucent and transparent, printing a graphic element on the first side of the first sheet of thermoplastic material, providing a second sheet of base layer material with a first side of the second sheet of base layer material having a design element, positioning the first side of the first sheet onto the first side of the second sheet such that the graphic image is disposed between the first side of the first sheet and the first side of the second sheet, and joining the first sheet and the second sheet together to form a graphic element laminate. The graphic element laminate is affixed to an outer surface of a skate boot core.

CROSS-REFERENCE

The present application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No.12/774,767, filed on May 6, 2010, which claims priority to United StatesProvisional Application No. 61/177,621, filed May 12, 2009, the entiretyof both which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a graphical element laminate for use informing a skate boot, and a skate boot incorporating the graphicalelement laminate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many people enjoy skating as a recreational pastime, either with iceskates or with roller skates such as in-line roller skates. This pastimeis generally made more enjoyable by providing skate boots having adistinctive and attractive appearance. In addition, manufacturers ofskates have a desire to produce skate boots having a distinctive andattractive experience as they compete with other manufacturers forretail sales. As a result, skate boots are available having a widevariety of exterior colors and patterns.

The variety of colors and patterns on conventional skate boots presentsa number of difficulties in the manufacturing process. One common methodof producing an aesthetically pleasing skate boot is to arrangedecorative pieces of leather, fabric or plastic (as the case may be)having different colors on the outwardly-facing surface of the skateboot. While this method is generally effective, it requires apotentially large number of irregularly-shaped pieces of differentmaterials to be joined together in proper alignment with one another.This process is labor intensive, and requires the person assembling thepieces of material to become familiar with different patterns whenworking on different models of skate, or as styles evolve over time. Asa result, the time and cost required to manufacture a skate boot may beincreased, and there may in some cases be a disincentive to create newor complex skate boot designs. In addition, the numerous seams or otherjoints between the pieces of material may be prone to fraying orloosening over time.

Another method of producing an aesthetically pleasing skate boot is tofashion the outer layer of the skate boot out of a plastic material,such as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). This allows the option ofproviding the appearance of different textures in different areas of theskate boot. However, this method presents difficulty in applyingdifferent colors to different areas of the skate boot. One approach isto print a design on the outside of the plastic, but this printing,particularly on the quarter, may be prone to cracking, chipping or otherdamage during use of the skate, resulting in an unattractive appearance.In addition, plastic is considered by some users to be less attractivethan fabric, particularly a woven composite fabric. Finally, this methodmay also in some cases provide a disincentive to create new skate bootdesigns, because even a small change in design might require a new andcostly mold.

Some skates are used in competitive activities, such as hockey. Theaforementioned inconveniences are particularly exacerbated when theskates are used in such activities, as these activities subject theskate boots to an increased frequency of impact and abrasion, from, forexample, hockey sticks and pucks and/or the blades or boots of otherskaters. While current skate boots are generally of sufficient qualityto maintain their structural integrity and usefulness under theseconditions, these impacts and abrasions may adversely affect theaesthetic appeal of the skate boots. Plastic outer surfaces and thecolors applied thereon may be prone to cracking, denting and chipping,and fabric or leather outer surfaces or the seams/joints between themmay become scratched, frayed or loosened, all of which reduces theaesthetic appeal of the skate boots.

At least for these reasons, improvements in the art of skate boots wouldbe desirable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to ameliorate at least some ofthe inconveniences present in the prior art.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a skate boothaving a plastic outer layer and a composite inner layer, the plasticouter layer having at least one printed region and at least onetransparent or translucent region through which the composite materialcan be seen.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method ofmanufacturing a skate boot having a plastic outer layer and a compositeinner layer, the plastic outer layer having at least one printed regionand at least one transparent or translucent region through which thecomposite material can be seen.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a graphicalelement for a skate boot wherein the appearance of woven or non-wovenfabric is interspersed with the appearance of printed elements.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method ofmanufacturing a skate boot wherein the appearance of woven or non-wovenfabric is interspersed with the appearance of printed elements.

Thus, in one aspect, the invention provides a graphical element laminatefor use in forming a skate boot, the laminate comprising: a base layerhaving a base layer inner side and a base layer outer side opposite thebase layer inner side; a first thermoplastic layer laminated on the baselayer outer side of the base layer, the first thermoplastic layer havinga first thermoplastic layer inner side and a first thermoplastic layerouter side opposite the first thermoplastic layer inner side; agraphical element printed on at least one portion of the firstthermoplastic layer inner side of the first thermoplastic layer, atleast a portion of the first thermoplastic layer overlying the graphicalelement being at least one of transparent and translucent such that whenthe laminate forms part of the skate boot, at least a portion of thegraphical element is visible through the first thermoplastic layer froman exterior of the skate boot. The graphical element may be opaque,translucent or transparent, or any combination thereof.

Preferably, the base layer outer side of the base layer includes adesign element, and at least a portion of the first thermoplastic layeroverlying the design element is at least one of transparent andtranslucent such that when the laminate forms part of the skate boot, atleast a portion of the design element is visible through the firstthermoplastic layer from the exterior of the skate boot. The designelement may be any nature of visible characteristic of the base layer,including one or more of texture, shape, color or applied image.

Preferably, the first thermoplastic layer comprises at least one of athermoplastic ionomer resin and polyurethane; the base layer comprisesat least one of polyester, glass fiber, and carbon fiber. Optionally,the base layer may include a woven material and the design element is aweave of the material.

In another aspect, the invention provides a graphical element laminatefor use in forming a skate boot, the laminate comprising: a base layerhaving a base layer inner side and a base layer outer side opposite thebase layer inner side; a first thermoplastic layer laminated on the baselayer outer side of the base layer, the first thermoplastic layer havinga first thermoplastic layer inner side and a first thermoplastic layerouter side opposite the first thermoplastic layer inner side; a secondthermoplastic layer laminated on the first thermoplastic outer side ofthe first thermoplastic layer, the second thermoplastic layer having asecond thermoplastic layer inner side and a second thermoplastic layerouter side opposite the second thermoplastic layer inner side; agraphical element printed on at least one portion of at least one of thefirst thermoplastic layer outer side of the first thermoplastic layerand the second thermoplastic layer inner side of the secondthermoplastic layer, at least a portion of the second thermoplasticlayer being at least one of transparent and translucent such that whenthe laminate forms part of the skate boot at least a portion of thegraphical element is visible through the second thermoplastic layer froman exterior of the skate boot.

Preferably, the base layer outer side of the base layer includes adesign element, and at least portions of the first thermoplastic layerand the second thermoplastic layer of portions thereof overlying thedesign element of the base layer are at least one of transparent andtranslucent such that when the laminate forms part of the skate boot atleast a portion of the design element is visible through the firstthermoplastic layer and the second thermoplastic layer from an exteriorof the skate boot.

Preferably, the first thermoplastic layer and the second thermoplasticlayer each comprise at least one of a thermoplastic ionomer resin andpolyurethane; the base layer comprises at least one of polyester, glassfiber, and carbon fiber. Optionally, the base layer may include a wovenmaterial and the design element is a weave of the material.

In yet another aspect, the invention provides a skate boot including agraphical element laminate as described hereinabove.

In yet another aspect, the invention provides a method of manufacturinga skate boot, comprising: providing a first sheet of thermoplasticmaterial, the first sheet having a first side and an opposing secondside, the thermoplastic material being at least one of translucent andtransparent; printing a graphic element on the first side of the firstsheet of thermoplastic material; providing a second sheet of base layermaterial, the second sheet having a first side and an opposing secondside, the first side of the second sheet of base layer material having adesign element; positioning the first side of the first sheet onto thefirst side of the second sheet such that the graphic image is disposedbetween the first side of the first sheet and the first side of thesecond sheet; joining the first sheet and the second sheet together toform a graphic element laminate; and affixing the second side of thesecond sheet to an outer surface of a skate boot core.

In yet another aspect, the invention provides a method of manufacturinga skate boot, comprising: providing a first sheet of a firstthermoplastic material, the first sheet having a first side and anopposing second side, the first thermoplastic material being at leastone of translucent and transparent; printing a graphic element on thefirst side of the first sheet of thermoplastic material; providing asecond sheet of a second thermoplastic material, the second sheet havinga first side and an opposing second side, the second thermoplasticmaterial being at least one of translucent and transparent; positioningthe first side of the first sheet onto the first side of the secondsheet such that the graphic image is disposed between the first side ofthe first sheet and the first side of the second sheet; joining thefirst sheet and the second sheet together; providing a third sheet ofbase layer material, the third sheet having a first side and an opposingsecond side, the first side of the third sheet of base layer materialhaving a design element; positioning the second side of the first sheetonto the first side of the third sheet such that the design element isdisposed between the second side of the first sheet and the first sideof the third sheet; joining the first sheet and the third sheet togetherto form a graphic element laminate; and affixing the second side of thethird sheet to an outer surface of a skate boot core.

In yet another aspect, the invention provides a method of manufacturinga skate boot, comprising: providing a first sheet of a firstthermoplastic material, the first sheet having a first side and anopposing second side, the first thermoplastic material being at leastone of translucent and transparent; providing a third sheet of baselayer material, the third sheet having a first side and an opposingsecond side, the first side of the third sheet of base layer materialhaving a design element; positioning the second side of the first sheetonto the first side of the third sheet such that the design element isdisposed between the second side of the first sheet and the first sideof the third sheet; joining the first sheet and the third sheet togetherto form a graphic element laminate; printing a graphic element on thefirst side of the first sheet of thermoplastic material; providing asecond sheet of a second thermoplastic material, the second sheet havinga first side and an opposing second side, the second thermoplasticmaterial being at least one of translucent and transparent; positioningthe first side of the first sheet onto the first side of the secondsheet such that the graphic image is disposed between the first side ofthe first sheet and the first side of the second sheet; joining thefirst sheet and the second sheet together; and affixing the second sideof the third sheet to an outer surface of a skate boot core.

For purposes of this application, the terms “inner” and “outer”, inreference to a layer of a graphic element laminate of the presentinvention, refer to the orientation of a side of the layer with respectto the side facing the interior or the exterior of a skate boot intowhich the graphic element laminate is incorporated.

For purposes of this application, the term “quarter”, in reference to askate or skate boot, refers either individually or collectively to theleft or right portions of the boot upper, and should be understood toinclude, but is not limited to, an integral piece or package of materialthat forms both the left and right upper portions of the assembled boot.

For purposes of this application, the term “printing” refers to anymethod of printing, applying or transferring an image onto a targetsurface, including digital printing such as ink jet or laser printing,gravure printing, flexography, lithography, and silk screening.

Embodiments of the present invention each have at least one of theabove-mentioned objects and/or aspects, but do not necessarily have allof them. It should be understood that some aspects of the presentinvention that have resulted from attempting to attain theabove-mentioned objects may not satisfy these objects and/or may satisfyother objects not specifically recited herein.

Additional and/or alternative features, aspects, and advantages ofembodiments of the present invention will become apparent from thefollowing description, the accompanying drawings, and the appendedclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention, as well as otheraspects and further features thereof, reference is made to the followingdescription which is to be used in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, where:

FIG. 1 is a logic diagram showing a method of manufacturing a skateaccording to a first embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a logic diagram showing a method of manufacturing a skateaccording to a second embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a logic diagram showing a method of manufacturing a skateaccording to a third embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a right side elevation view of an ice skate manufacturedaccording to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view showing the layers of material in a skatequarter according to an embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the skate quarter of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the present application, referring to FIGS. 1 and 5, a method ofassembly of a quarter 10 for a skate boot 12 (such as a skate boot 12 asshown in FIG. 4) will be described according to a first embodiment,beginning at step 100 with a first flat sheet 14. It should beunderstood that the method can be applied to only a portion of thequarter. It should be further understood that the method is not limitedto a quarter 10, but can also be applied to other portions of the skateboot, such as the tongue or the vamp. The sheet 14 comprises athermoplastic material, such as a thermoplastic ionomer resin (e.g.Surlyn™ 1601-2 or Surlyn™ 8940—Surlyn is a trademark of E. I. duPont deNemours and Company) or thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). The sheet 14is preferably about 0.2 mm thick, though it should be understood thatthe thickness may vary according to the particular application and thestructural properties desired for the assembled skate boot 12. The sheet14 is preferably either entirely transparent or translucent, and may becolorless or tinted with a desired color, for reasons that will bediscussed in detail below. The process continues at step 105.

At step 105, a graphic element 20 is printed on a first side 16 of thesheet 14, using an appropriate ink or dye that will adhere to theselected thermoplastic material. For example, if the sheet 14 iscomposed of TPU, a polyurethane based ink could be used. The graphicelement 20 may be printed on the sheet 14 by any suitable method knownin the art. It should be understood that the graphic element 20 may beany arrangement of one or more colors chosen to give the skate boot 12an aesthetically pleasing appearance, and may include one or more words,one or more geometric shapes, a brand name, company logo or trademark.The graphic element 20 is dimensioned and positioned on the sheet 14relative to the pattern 22 (shown in dashed lines), which represents theoutline of the skate quarter 10 that will later be cut out from thesheet 14 and incorporated into the skate boot 12, to ensure that thegraphic element 20 will appear in the desired location on the assembledskate boot 12. The pattern 22 may correspond to a left quarter or aright quarter of the skate boot 12, or both, or of a unitary quarter (asshown in FIG. 4) that extends on both the left and right sides of theskate boot 12. The graphic element 20 may optionally be an opaquegraphical element covering only one or more parts 28 of the pattern 22,in which case only the parts 30 of the pattern 22 not covered by thegraphic element 20 retain the transparent or translucent appearance ofthe sheet 14. The process continues at step 110.

At step 110, a second flat sheet 24 of thermoplastic material islaminated onto the first side 16 of the first sheet 14, such that thegraphic element 20 is disposed between the sheets 14, 24, to produce agraphics sub-laminate 32. The lamination process is believed to be wellknown, and will not be discussed in detail. The second sheet 24 ispreferably made of the same or similar thermoplastic material as thefirst sheet 14, and is of the same or similar dimensions, to ensure thatthe second sheet 24 properly adheres to both the printed parts 28 andthe unprinted parts 30 of the first sheet 14 over at least the entiresurface of the pattern 22. The second sheet 24 may be colorless ortinted with a desired color, and is preferably either entirelytransparent or translucent, for reasons that will be discussed in detailbelow. The process continues at step 115. It is contemplated that step110 may be omitted, in which case the graphics sub-laminate 32 wouldconsist of only the first sheet 14 and the graphic element 20, and theprocess would proceed from step 105 directly to step 115.

At step 115, the graphics sub-laminate 32 is laminated onto a base layer34 in a known manner, such that the second side 18 of the first sheet 14adheres to the base layer 34 to form a graphical element laminate 26.The base layer 34 is preferably a flat sheet of fabric, such as a wovencloth containing natural fibers or synthetic fibers such as glass fiber,polyester, or carbon fiber, or any suitable woven or non-wovencomposite. The base layer 34 may alternatively be or contain any othersuitable material, such as a paper or film with a design element printedthereon. The process continues at step 120.

At step 120, the graphical element laminate 26 is laminated to a skateboot quarter core 36 to form a skate quarter blank 46. The skate bootquarter core 36 may be composed of several layers 38, 40, 42, 44,depending on the intended application and the structural propertiesdesired. In the embodiment shown, the skate boot quarter core 36includes a layer 38 of foam such as expanded polypropylene compressedbetween an inner reinforcement layer 40 and an outer reinforcement layer42. The reinforcement layers 40, 42 may be made of any suitablematerial, for example a composite non-woven polyester sheet such as KP,available from KangPao Industrial Co. in China, or Formo™ (a trademarkof Texon International). It is contemplated that the inner reinforcementlayer 40 may optionally be omitted, in which case only the outerreinforcement layer 42 would be used. The skate core also preferablyincludes an outer layer 44 composed of a suitable thermoplasticmaterial, preferably Surlyn or polyurethane having a thickness of0.25-1.1 mm, onto which the graphical element laminate 26 is laminated.It should be understood that a number of 5 suitable alternativecompositions are known for the skate boot quarter core 36, and all areconsidered to be within the scope of the invention. The processcontinues at step 125.

At step 125, the skate quarter blank 46 is cut along the contour of thepattern 22, for example by using a die or other suitable cutting tool,and molded into the desired three-dimensional shape in a known manner,to form the skate quarter 10. The process continues at step 130.

At step 130, the skate quarter 10 is assembled into an ice skate 48. Askate boot 12 is formed by the addition of various known parts, whichmay include an insole (not shown), an outsole 52, a tongue 54, a toeprotector 56, eyelets 58 and laces 60. It is contemplated that theassembly of the skate boot 12 may be done in any known manner, forexample in the manner described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,451,991, the contentsof which are incorporated by reference herein. It should be understoodthat, as a result of the positioning of the graphic element 20 relativeto the pattern 22 at step 105, the graphic element 20 is properlyaligned on the skate boot 12. The ice skate 48 is formed by fastening ablade holder 62 with a blade 64 to the outsole 52 in a known manner. Itis contemplated that the skate boot 12 may alternatively be used in aroller skate (not shown), for example an inline roller skate, in whichcase a frame adapted to hold two or more wheels would be fastened to theoutsole 52 instead of the blade holder 62 and blade 64. The processconcludes at step 135.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 5, a method of assembly of a quarter 10 for askate boot 12 (such as a skate boot 12 as shown in FIG. 4) will bedescribed according to a second embodiment, beginning at step 200 with abase layer 34. The base layer 34 is preferably a flat sheet of fabric,such as a woven cloth containing natural fibers or synthetic fibers suchas such as glass fiber, polyester, or carbon fiber, or any suitablewoven or non-woven composite. The process continues at step 205.

At step 205, a first flat sheet 14 is laminated onto the base layer 34in a known manner. The first flat sheet 14 comprises a suitablethermoplastic material, such as a thermoplastic ionomer resin orthermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). The sheet 14 is preferably about 0.2mm thick, though it should be understood that the thickness may varyaccording to the particular application and the structural propertiesdesired for the final skate boot 12. The first flat sheet 14 may becolorless or tinted with a desired color, and is preferably eithertransparent or translucent, for reasons that will be discussed in detailbelow. The process continues at step 210.

At step 210, a graphic element 20 is printed on the outwardly-facingside 16 of the first flat sheet 14, using an appropriate ink or dye thatwill adhere to the selected thermoplastic material. For example, if thesheet 14 is composed of TPU, a polyurethane based ink could be used. Thegraphic element 20 may be printed on the first flat sheet 14 by anysuitable method known in the art. It should be understood that thegraphic element 20 may be any arrangement of one or more colors chosento give the skate boot 12 an aesthetically pleasing appearance, as willbe discussed below in further detail. The graphic element 20 mayadditionally or alternatively include a brand name, company logo ortrademark. The graphic element 20 is dimensioned and positioned on thesheet 14 relative to the pattern 22 (shown in dashed lines), whichrepresents the outline of the skate quarter 10 that will later be cutout from the sheet 14 and incorporated into the skate boot 12. Thepattern 22 may correspond to a left quarter or a right quarter of theskate boot 12, or both, or of a unitary quarter (as shown in FIG. 4)that extends on both the left and right sides of the skate boot 12. Thegraphic element 20 may optionally be an opaque graphical elementcovering only one or more parts 28 of the pattern 22, in which case onlythe parts 30 of the pattern 22 not covered by the graphic element 20retain the transparent or translucent appearance of the sheet 14. Theprocess continues at step 215.

At step 215, a second flat sheet 24 of thermoplastic material islaminated onto the side 16 of the first sheet 14 to produce a graphicalelement laminate 26. The lamination process is believed to be wellunderstood, and will not be discussed in detail. The second sheet 24 ispreferably made of the same or similar thermoplastic material as thefirst sheet 14, and is of the same or similar dimensions, to ensure thatthe second sheet 24 properly adheres to both the printed parts 28 andthe unprinted parts of the first sheet 14 over at least the entiresurface of the pattern 22. The second sheet 24 may be colorless ortinted with a desired color, and is preferably either transparent ortranslucent, for reasons that will be discussed in detail below. Theprocess continues at step 220. It is contemplated that step 215 may beomitted, in which case the graphic element laminate 26 would consist ofonly the base layer 26, the first sheet 14 and the graphic element 20,and the process would proceed from step 210 directly to step 220.

Steps 220-235 are similar to steps 120-135, respectively, and as suchthey will not be described in detail.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 5, a method of assembly of a quarter 10 for askate boot 12 (such as a skate boot 12 as shown in FIG. 4) will bedescribed according to a third embodiment, beginning at step 300 with aflat sheet 14. The sheet 14 comprises a thermoplastic material, such asa thermoplastic ionomer resin or thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). Thesheet 14 is preferably about 0.2 mm thick, though it should beunderstood that the thickness may vary according to the particularapplication and the structural properties desired for the assembledskate boot 12. The sheet 14 may be colorless or tinted with a desiredcolor, and is preferably either entirely transparent or translucent, forreasons that will be discussed in detail below. The process continues atstep 305.

At step 305, a graphic element 20 is printed on a side 18 of the sheet14, using an appropriate ink or dye that will adhere to the selectedthermoplastic material. For example, if the sheet 14 is composed of TPU,a polyurethane based ink could be used; if the sheet 14 is composed ofSurlyn, a Surlyn based ink could be used. The graphic element 20 may beprinted on the sheet 14 by any suitable method known in the art. Itshould be understood that the graphic element 20 may be any arrangementof one or more colors chosen to give the skate boot 12 an aestheticallypleasing appearance, as will be discussed below in further detail. Thegraphic element may additionally or alternatively include a brand name,company logo or trademark. The graphic element 20 is dimensioned andpositioned on the sheet 14 relative to the pattern 22 (shown in dashedlines), which represents the outline of the skate quarter 10 that willlater be cut out from the sheet 14 and incorporated into the skate boot12. The pattern 22 may correspond to a left quarter or a right quarterof the skate boot 12, or both, or of a unitary quarter (as shown in FIG.4) that extends on both the left and right sides of the skate boot 12.The graphical element 20 may optionally be an opaque graphical elementcovering only one or more parts 28 of the pattern 22, in which case onlythe parts 30 of the pattern 22 not covered by the graphic element 20retain the transparent or translucent appearance of the sheet 14. Theprocess continues at step 310.

At step 310, the printed side 18 of the sheet 14 is laminated onto abase layer 34 in a known manner, such that the side 18 of the sheet 14adheres to the base 34 to form a graphical element laminate 26. The baselayer 34 is preferably a flat sheet of fabric, such as a woven clothcontaining natural fibers or synthetic fibers such as such as glassfiber, polyester, or carbon fiber, or any suitable woven or non-wovencomposite. The process continues at step 320.

Steps 320-335 are similar to steps 120-135, respectively, and as suchthey will not be described in detail.

Referring to FIG. 6, the outermost layers of the quarter 10, from theskate boot quarter core 36 to the exterior of the skate boot 12 (such asa skate boot 12 as shown in FIG. 4), consist of the base layer 34, thesheet 14 with the graphic element 20 printed thereon, and optionally thesheet 24 such as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6.

Referring to FIG. 4, it should be understood that the quarter 10 of theskate boot 12 can conveniently be provided with an attractivejuxtaposition of parts 28 where the printed design is visible and parts30 where the base layer 34 is visible through the unprinted portions ofthe transparent or translucent sheets 14, 24. As a result, the parts 30can be numerous or intricately shaped by simply printing the desiredshapes on the flat surface of the sheet 14, without the need to assemblethe correspondingly numerous or complex composite inserts. In thismanner, a complex design of the skate boot 12 does not result in greatlyincreased time, cost or effort required to assemble the skate boot 12.The possibility of tinting or shading the sheets 14, 24 allows anadditional way to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the skate boot 12without increasing manufacturing costs. In addition, if a differentappearance is desired, the persons who assemble the skate would notgenerally require additional training to learn the proper placement ofthe inserts corresponding to the new design, likely resulting in furthercost saving and providing a greater incentive to create new attractiveskate boot designs. In addition, if desired the second sheet 24 canadvantageously be given a glossy appearance. In addition, the secondsheet 24 may be either smooth or embossed with a texture or pattern.

It should be understood that the methods described above allow for theproduction of a skate boot 12 having a customized appearance in acost-efficient manner. In further variations of the methods describedabove, a database is provided, for containing at least one informationrecord corresponding to at least one customized boot design. A customercan thereby be given the option to personalize the appearance of hisskate boot 12, by either selecting one of a number of preexistingdesigns from the database, combining pre-existing design components fromthe database to form an original design, or providing his own design tothe database in a suitable digital format. A selected customized graphicelement 20 corresponding to the customer's desired design is retrievedfrom the database and printed on the sheet 14 or 24 at step 105, 210, or305 (as the case may be), preferably using a method of digital printingsuch as ink jet or laser printing, to create the customized skate boot12.

Referring to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, it should also be understood that theskate boot 12 is reasonably durable and resistant to wear and damage.The transparent 20 or translucent layers 14, 24 allow portions of thecomposite base layer 34 to be visible without being exposed to theenvironment. The layers 14, 24 protect the base layer 34 from some typesof damage that may ordinarily occur during use of the skate 48, forexample due to the impact of pucks, sticks and other skates if the skate48 is used for playing ice hockey. In addition, the absence of compositeinserts eliminates the possibility that seams or joints between designcomponents could become frayed or damaged. The second sheet 24additionally serves to protect the graphic element 20 from becomingdamaged due to chipping or abrasion during use of the skate 48.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, it should also be understood that if twothermoplastic sheets 14 and 24 are used (such as in the embodiment shownin those FIGS. 5 and 6), the layers of material in the quarter 10 canadvantageously be ordered in a way that ensures reliable adhesionbetween successive layers. In particular, the graphic element 20 can beplaced between the two sheets 14, 24 of the thermoplastic material towhich it is designed to adhere, and the sheet 14 of thermoplasticmaterial can be placed between the sheet 24, preferably made of the sameor a similar thermoplastic material, and the base layer 34. As a result,the skate boot 12 is relatively convenient and inexpensive tomanufacture, the quality of the final product is consistent, and thecosts of scrap due to manufacturing defects are generally reduced.

Modifications and improvements to the above-described embodiments of thepresent invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art. Theforegoing description is intended to be exemplary rather than limiting.The scope of the present invention is therefore intended to be limitedsolely by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of manufacturing a skate boot,comprising: providing a first sheet of thermoplastic material, the firstsheet having a first side and an opposing second side, the thermoplasticmaterial being at least one of translucent and transparent; printing agraphic element on the first side of the first sheet of thermoplasticmaterial; providing a second sheet of base layer material, the secondsheet having a first side and an opposing second side, the first side ofthe second sheet of base layer material having a design element;positioning the first side of the first sheet onto the first side of thesecond sheet such that the graphic image is disposed between the firstside of the first sheet and the first side of the second sheet; joiningthe first sheet and the second sheet together to form a graphic elementlaminate; and affixing the second side of the second sheet to an outersurface of a skate boot core.
 2. The method as recited in claim 1,wherein providing the first sheet of thermoplastic material includesproviding a thermoplastic layer including at least one of athermoplastic ionomer resin and polyurethane.
 3. The method as recitedin claim 1, wherein the base layer material is selected from the groupconsisting of polyester, glass fiber, carbon fiber and combinationsthereof.
 4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein affixing thesecond side of the second sheet to the outer surface of the skate bootcore includes affixing the second side of the second sheet to the outersurface of one or more of a quarter, a vamp and a tongue of the skateboot.
 5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the skate boot coreincludes at least one foam layer, at least one reinforcement layer, andan outer layer definining the outer surface.
 6. The method as recited inclaim 1, wherein affixing the second side of the second sheet to theouter surface of the skate boot core includes affixing the second sideof the second sheet to the outer surface of a thermoplastic layer of theskate boot core.
 7. A method of manufacturing a skate boot, comprising:providing a first sheet of a first thermoplastic material, the firstsheet having a first side and an opposing second side, the firstthermoplastic material being at least one of translucent andtransparent; printing a graphic element on the first side of the firstsheet of thermoplastic material; providing a second sheet of a secondthermoplastic material, the second sheet having a first side and anopposing second side, the second thermoplastic material being at leastone of translucent and transparent; positioning the first side of thefirst sheet onto the first side of the second sheet such that thegraphic image is disposed between the first side of the first sheet andthe first side of the second sheet; joining the first sheet and thesecond sheet together; providing a third sheet of base layer material,the third sheet having a first side and an opposing second side, thefirst side of the third sheet of base layer material having a designelement; positioning the second side of the first sheet onto the firstside of the third sheet such that the design element is disposed betweenthe second side of the first sheet and the first side of the thirdsheet; joining the first sheet and the third sheet together to form agraphic element laminate; and affixing the second side of the thirdsheet to an outer surface of a skate boot core.
 8. The method as recitedin claim 7, wherein providing the first sheet of the first thermoplasticmaterial includes providing a thermoplastic layer including at least oneof a thermoplastic ionomer resin and polyurethane.
 9. The method asrecited in claim 7, wherein providing the second sheet of the secondthermoplastic material includes providing a thermoplastic layerincluding at least one of a thermoplastic ionomer resin andpolyurethane.
 10. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the baselayer material is selected from the group consisting of polyester, glassfiber, carbon fiber and combinations thereof.
 11. The method as recitedin claim 7, wherein affixing the second side of the third sheet to theouter surface of the skate boot core includes affixing the second sideof the third sheet to the outer surface of one or more of a quarter, avamp and a tongue of the skate boot.
 12. The method as recited in claim7, wherein the skate boot core includes at least one foam layer, atleast one reinforcement layer, and an outer layer definining the outersurface.
 13. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein affixing thesecond side of the third sheet to the outer surface of the skate bootcore includes affixing the second side of the third sheet to the outersurface of a thermoplastic layer of the skate boot core.
 14. A method ofmanufacturing a skate boot, comprising: providing a first sheet of afirst thermoplastic material, the first sheet having a first side and anopposing second side, the first thermoplastic material being at leastone of translucent and transparent; providing a third sheet of baselayer material, the third sheet having a first side and an opposingsecond side, the first side of the third sheet of base layer materialhaving a design element; positioning the second side of the first sheetonto the first side of the third sheet such that the design element isdisposed between the second side of the first sheet and the first sideof the third sheet; joining the first sheet and the third sheet togetherto form a graphic element laminate; printing a graphic element on thefirst side of the first sheet of thermoplastic material; providing asecond sheet of a second thermoplastic material, the second sheet havinga first side and an opposing second side, the second thermoplasticmaterial being at least one of translucent and transparent; positioningthe first side of the first sheet onto the first side of the secondsheet such that the graphic image is disposed between the first side ofthe first sheet and the first side of the second sheet; joining thefirst sheet and the second sheet together; and affixing the second sideof the third sheet to an outer surface of a skate boot core.
 15. Themethod as recited in claim 14, wherein providing the first sheet of thefirst thermoplastic material includes providing a thermoplastic layerincluding at least one of a thermoplastic ionomer resin andpolyurethane.
 16. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein providingthe second sheet of the second thermoplastic material includes providinga thermoplastic layer including at least one of a thermoplastic ionomerresin and polyurethane.
 17. The method as recited in claim 14, whereinthe base layer material is selected from the group consisting ofpolyester, glass fiber, carbon fiber and combinations thereof.
 18. Themethod as recited in claim 14, wherein affixing the second side of thethird sheet to the outer surface of the skate boot core includesaffixing the second side of the third sheet to the outer surface of oneor more of a quarter, a vamp and a tongue of the skate boot.
 19. Themethod as recited in claim 14, wherein the skate boot core includes atleast one foam layer, at least one reinforcement layer, and an outerlayer definining the outer surface.
 20. The method as recited in claim14, wherein affixing the second side of the third sheet to the outersurface of the skate boot core includes affixing the second side of thethird sheet to the outer surface of a thermoplastic layer of the skateboot core.